Production Futures has announced that it will return to Production Park, Wakefield, on Thursday 19 November 2026 for its final ON TOUR event of the year. Following highly successful visits to the AO Arena in Manchester and London’s Roundhouse, which smashed previous attendance records, Production Futures promises another action-packed day which will promote employability, transferable skills, diversity, free training, and networking, as well as presenting paid work opportunities to newcomers across the live event and broadcast production industry. A host of world-leading manufacturers, supply and production companies, venues and distributors, will have representatives present at the event to provide advice,…
Author: Alicia Pollitt
Europalco has expanded its logistics infrastructure in Portugal with the significant expansion of its warehouse in Porto and the opening of a new warehouse in the Algarve, strengthening its ability to support events with local equipment, technical teams, and faster regional response. The new facilities mark an important step in the company’s shift from a centralised logistics structure to a network-based model. By establishing permanent operational bases in two of Portugal’s main event regions, Europalco is increasing agility, improving flexibility, and reducing the carbon footprint associated with long-distance transport of heavy structures and equipment. The warehouses will function as local…
The National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) has issued the oral testimony that was delivered by NAMM President and CEO John Mlynczak before the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) Section 301 Committee in Washington, D.C., on Friday, 8 May. Mlynczak’s oral testimony delivered a powerful narative on the impact of tariffs on American businesses, music education, and consumers of musical instruments. This message enhances the case and data already provided in NAMM’s previously submitted written comments. The USTR selected 151 assocations and companies to provide in-person testimony to support the 811 written comments recieved. NAMM joined other…
Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK), Finland’s national selection competition for the Eurovision Song Contest, returned for its fifteenth edition in 2026, broadcast live from the Nokia Arena in Tampere by YLE, the Finnish Broadcasting Company. With Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen ultimately claiming Finland’s Eurovision spot with their song Liekinheitin, the event demanded a visual production equal to its audience. At the centre of that were two INFiLED LED screen systems, together forming one of the most technically ambitious setups in the competition’s history. Technical delivery was handled by Akun Tehdas Oy, a Finnish AV production company and one of the…
The British Music Embassy (BME) returned to SXSW for its 2026 edition, once again taking over Palm Door on Sixth for a full week of live performances, industry programming, and broadcast activity. Operating continuously from daytime panels through late-night performances, the BME brought together emerging UK talent, production professionals, and global industry partners within a tightly run, dedicated venue. Production was prepped by Ant Forbes of Production Park and led on site by the same, with loudspeaker systems supplied by Fidelis Sound & Lighting. System design and tuning were carried out by dBTechnologies USA Applications Engineer Andy Tindall and dBTechnologies…
Few live events blur the line between sport, music and art quite like Art on Ice. Hosted from 27 February to the 6 March across three arenas in Switzerland, the internationally celebrated ice performance show combines world‑class figure skating with live music. At the heart of the 2026 production was 300m² of Absen JP8 Pro LED. Habegger and NicLen Switzerland were chosen to supply and install Absen’s visual backdrop to the ice. From the stands, the LED screens became an extension of the choreography itself, providing flowing colour, texture and light moving in rhythm with skaters and musicians without distracting…
POLAR has announced the expansion of its team with the appointment of Nick White to the post of Business Development Manager. White brings with him twenty years of experience across the professional audio visual industry, spanning system integration, distribution, and manufacturing. With a strong recent focus on software solutions, he possesses valuable expertise in combining hardware and software to create impactful user experiences. POLAR Managing Director John Midgley commented: “Nick joins POLAR at a very opportune moment. We have recently added several new brands to our portfolio, and are beginning the rollout of our ‘Go to Market’ strategy. Nicks extensive…
Area Four Industries UK (A4IUK) has announced the official launch of the new SkillsLab Training Programme at the upcoming PLASA Leeds. Developed to support the evolving needs of the live events and entertainment technology sector, the A4IUK SkillsLab platform provides industry professionals with access to a growing portfolio of specialist educational and technical training programmes across the Area Four Industries brand family including: EXE Technology, MILOS, LITEC and PROLYTE. Based at the A4IUK Innovation Centre in Holbeach Hurn, Lincs, SkillsLab has been created to equip riggers, technicians, engineers, production professionals, and venue teams with the practical knowledge and technical skills…
New research examining the economic value, employment and key issues for the UK Outdoor Events Sector has been published, 8 years after the last sector-specific report was produced. The headline number of at least £25 billion annual economic value of the sector covers the full cascade of value that events generate. It makes outdoor events the single largest component of the UK’s £61.6 billion events industry – bigger than conferences, exhibitions and business events combined. The central finding of this research is quite straightforward: events generate far more economic value than their organisers ever see in their own accounts. Every…
Leading UK charity Music Venue Trust (MVT) and The National Lottery have announced the first line-ups for Everywhere At Once, a UK-wide live music weekend that brings the festival season to grassroots venues across the country. Taking place on what would have been the Glastonbury Festival weekend of 26 to 28 June, 2026, more than 400 grassroots music venues will unite across the UK to create Everywhere At Once. For one extraordinary weekend, venues from Falmouth to Aberdeen will stage hundreds of live music events under the banner of Everywhere At Once, celebrating the grassroots network that British music is…
Riedel Communications has announced the expansion of its leadership structure as part of a strategic initiative to strengthen both its operational management and overarching group leadership. As part of this development, Marc Engroff has been appointed Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Riedel Communications. At the same time, Frank Eischet transitions into the role of Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Riedel Group, with an increased focus on group-level strategy and cross-functional alignment. As part of a previously defined evolution of the leadership structure, this move is being implemented at a time of dynamic developments across the broader Riedel environment, including…
Coheed and Cambria launched an amphitheater tour last summer co-billed with iconic emo-pop band Taking Back Sunday. The 25-date trek across the United States and Canada featured a dazzling arrangement of lasers and lights, a giant inflatable sunglasses-adorned skull, and support from a robust Cohesion audio system. Coheed and Cambria treated fans to plenty of hits old and new. The set featured singles from their latest album, including Goodbye, Sunshine and Blind Side Sonny alongside beloved classics such as A Favor House Atlantic, Blood Red Summer, and In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3, plus a boisterous encore of The…
Pro Subrental Marketplace has partnered with Flex Rental Solutions, making it much easier for users to populate their PSM Marketplace Inventory. This software integration is part of the long-term strategic plan for Pro Subrental Marketplace to make it easier for users to quickly locate and secure the right equipment within the tools they use every day. “This is the first step in making the cross-rental marketplace much easier to manage,” explained Pro Subrental Marketplace CEO, Greg Smith. “I’m delighted that Chris and the team at Flex have embraced the concept of PSM, even joining me for in presenting the concept…
Budapest-based production company BG Events recently deployed what is believed to be the largest total hang for a single event of Martin Audio’s Wavefront Precision series. A total of 120 line array elements from the WPL, WPC and WPS series, together with 36 SXH218 subs, were specified for BSW at the Papp László Arena. Celebrating two decades since BSW first formed in 2006, the #BSW20 tour marks a defining moment for the group, charting their journey from the underground hip-hop scene to the summit of Hungary’s live music industry as one of the country’s premier stadium-level performers. It was BG…
Solid State Logic has announced the launch of TCA Tour, a compact fly-away audio production system built entirely from System T components. Designed for broadcast, touring, and live production environments, TCA Tour delivers flagship System T performance in a rugged, portable format engineered for fast and reliable deployment on location or on the road. TCA Tour features a new desktop-format control frame with 16 faders and integrated onboard I/O, fully pre-wired and packaged for immediate use. The system includes eight mic/line inputs, four line outputs, headphone monitoring, a built-in network switch, and a custom adjustable mount for a touchscreen and…
Neg Earth Lights celebrated World Earth Day with purpose – engaging in a series of activities across two weeks that brought the community together while making a positive impact on the environment. From litter picking along the Grand Union Canal to supporting local wildlife initiatives and reimagining its monthly Tea & Talk, each activity reflected the company’s shared commitment to sustainability and community. Caring for Our Community: Grand Union Canal Clean-Up The team kicked things off with a walk along the Grand Union Canal, equipped with litter pickers, gloves and bin bags, ready to clear any waste left behind. It…
What has the first quarter of 2026 been like? “It has been strong for Instagrid. In the UK, the film, media, and events sector are leading the way when it comes to global sales and demand for units (with FME), reflecting the world leading FME industry we have here. We’re supporting high profile events worldwide – from powering fireworks at the Burj Khalifa on New Year’s Eve in the UAE to supplying portable power for live broadcast equipment at the Super Bowl in the US. Rising fuel costs are continuing to drive demand across all sectors, but importantly, Instagrid is…
What was the inspiration behind the creation of the Avantis 2.0 console? “The Allen & Heath mindset has always been to give users as much power inside the box so that cost and complexity can be reduced while providing the best sounding desks available to the market. Avantis is the ‘bridge’ product between our smaller format consoles and our flagship dLive systems, with live requirements being nearly identical. As shows get more complex, our users need more channels for double-patching, more buses for groups and talkback matrices, and faster ways of navigating the console. Additionally, the very first call I…
